Metallic fabric suitable for pneumatic tires of motor-cars and other carriages.



G. M. GAUTIER. METALLIC FABRIC SUITABLE FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES 0F MOTOR CARS AND OTHER OARBIAGES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.20, 1906.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Inventor.

Witnesses.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1 CLAUDE MARIE GAUTIER, OF LEWISHAM, LOIDON, ENGLAND.

METALLIC FABRIC SUITABLE FORPNEUMATIC TIRES or MOTOR-CARS AND OTHER CARRIAGES.

T 0 all 107mm 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE MARIE GAU- -'rii:i:, citizen of the Republic of France, resiments in Metallic Fabric Suitable for Pneu- ,niatic Tires of Motor-Carsand other Carriages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to a metallic articulated thread designed to be used in manufacturing pneumatic tires with a view of strengthening same, either in the form of wires simply laid side by side or in the form of woven fabrics. v It is now recognized that the present con struction of pneumatic tires leaves much to be desired on account of the fabric employed being of insufiicient strength especially in the case of motor cars, unless such a quantity is used as very materially destroys the resiliency of the tire. The tensile strength obtainable with fabrics at present used is limited and therefore'the requisite strength can only be obtained by increasing either the thickness of the fabric or the number of layers. The result is aftire which is not on y very rigid but which cuts very rapidly. It is likewise known that cotton fabrics which are the most capable of resisting the action of heat lose 15% of their resistance on being subjected to the heat necessary for vulcanization. Further, tires constructed of cotton and like fabrics have the disadvantage that the rubber soon becomes so porous as to allow moisture to gain access to the fabric which consequently soon becomes rotten resulting in the destruction of the tire.

I am aware that attempts have already been made to employ a metallic fabric in the construction of pneumatic tires, but so far without success. The chief difiiculties have been, first, to obtain a metal fabric that will flex without breaking; second to obtain complete and perfect cohesion between the metallic fabric and the rubber; and third, to prevent the destruction of the metal fabric by the action of the sulfur employed in the process of vulcanization. V

The annexed drawing permits of a ready comprehension of my invention, wherein,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20, 1906. Serial No. 331,329.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Figures 1 and 2 are front and edge elevations respectively of one form of 111311 which which a bias strip may be out. Fig. 9, shows the superposition of two similar bands n which the chains cross one another in order to produce a bias strip for pneumatic tires' Fig. 10 1s a transverse section of Fig. 9, and

11, is a view partly in section and partly broken away of a pneumatic' tire composed of two sheets of articulated fiberbf the k' nd shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10.

t Fig. 8, -shows the chains placed side by side between a fabric from According to the presentjiiiveiition, I con- I I struct the fabric 110mm single} wire, of what I call a-narticulated nietall o'tliread. This consists of a very light and fleziible chain a of steel or other suitable metal: pref erably 'iiiclosed in a sheath '1) of cottoitor like textile material as shown in 3., The sheath b may be proofed. with rubber or other adhesive material c wound iii a spiral around the sheathasshowii inFi 4, both" for the purpose of makingjtliewrappi'ng homogeneous and for the purpose of enabling the rubber forming the exterior of the tire, to adhere to it. The sheath may be formed by winding the rubber band 0 Idi rectly on the chain as shown iii Fig."5, saiid wrapping of rubber being free of sulfur or other vulcanizing substance c'a lablebof injuring the metal by forminga sti fidfor other wise. As an alternative constructioiijthe chain maybe wrapped or: embedded directly in a cover or sheath (if-rubber iother-adhesive substance 01 as shown in Fig. 6, free from sulfur or other injurious material as above stated, a convenient method of effecting this being to pass it through avat of rubber in solution a snttieient number of tinies,-a-llowing it to dry between each dipping'to give it a coating of the desired thickness. It may also he finally drawn through a die which will compress the rubber into the interstices of the chain, remove any excess of rubber, and give the thread a uniform section.

The articulated metallic thread constructed in the manner hereinbefore described when employed in the construction of )neumatic tires is so disposed that the load carried by the tire is entirely borne by said metallic thread. To this end it can either be woven into a fabric in the ordinary manner using the said thread either for both the warp and the woof as shown in Fig. 7, or for one and a cotton or like thread for the other,

or alternatively the articulated metallic thread may be employed in the manner well known in the construction of so-called thread tires in which the fabric is made up by laying or winding the thread in layers over one another the threads in one layer. crossing the ones in the adjacent layer, as shown in Fig. 9 in contra-distinction to interweaving them. This method may be employed either in directly building up tires or in the preparation of sheets of fabric for such purpose. In constructing such sheets I place a number of lengths of chain a side by side parallel to one another at a suitable distance apart between two sheets of rubber e, 6 These sheets may be cut along the lines A-B and CD, Fig. 8, in order to obtain a strip in which the chains are disposed obliquely. Said sheets may be pressed together by passing them through a pair of rolls or otherwise, so as not only to cause them to firmly adhere to one another but also to force the rubber into the interstices of the chains. In all cases the articulated metallic thread is incorporated or made integral with the beads or their equivalent on the edges of the cover of the tire.

The strengthening sheets constructed as above described and shown in Figs. 7 to 10 are, as shown in Fig. 11, interposed between an inner strip A and an outer strip 13 both of which may be made of rubber or of a suitable textile fabric as desired.

I wish it to be understood that according to this invention, the articulated metallic thread can be used either sheathed with protective or insulating covering, or nnsheathed, as may be desired; and further that the insulating covering may be of any suitable adhesive not containing sulfur or other material injurious to the metal of the chains, that is to say it need not contain rubber at all, butif it is a rubber compound it should be free of injurious substances; more over when the articulated metallic thread is employed to build up flexible sheets for use in the manufacture of tires, the sheets need not be of rubber compound, for any suitable compound that is non injurious and adhesive will do.

\Vhile a tire made in this manner offers great resistance to puncture, I wish to establish a clear distinction between, my system and the various so-called non-puncturable covers or tires at present in use or that have been previously described.

I claim 1. A strengthening sheet to be interposed between the inner and outer rubber strips of pneumatic tire casings, comprising a series of chain lengths laid in rows and means to protect the chain lengths from the action of the sulfur in the rubber.

2. A strengthening sheet composed of a series of chain lengths each inclosed in a sheath of textile material and laid in parallel rows between sheets of rubber.

3. A strengthening sheet composed of a series of chain lengths laid in parallel rows between sheets of rubber and disposed obliquely to the lengths of rubber sheets.

4. A strengthening sheet composed of two series of superposed chain lengths laid in parallel rows between sheets of rubber and disposed obliquely to the length of the rubber sheets, the chains of one series crossing those of the other series.

5. A strengthening sheet for pneumatic tires, comprising a plurality of series of flat metal chain lengths. the lengths of one series being in angular relation to those of the adjacent series.

G. A strengthening sheet for pneumatic tires comprising fiat metallic chains embedded in a flexible protecting material, a strip of rubber wound in a spiral around each layer of flexible material, said chains being disposed in cross rows and embedded in layers of rubber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE MARIE GAUTIER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. L. RAND, ALI-RED NUTTING. 

